MOST - Memphis Opportunity Scholarship Trust

Today’s Back To School Spotlight shines on this Christian Brothers High School sophomore, who’s ready to tackle the school year. We hope everyone is enjoying a much-needed weekend after many students’ first week of school!

This big sister and little brother headed back to school this week at Central Baptist School. High fives to all the M.O.S.T. Scholars headed back to school for the 2023-24 academic year, and thanks to M.O.S.T families for all the wonderful photos!

This awesome Harding Academy of Memphis 6th Grader and M.O.S.T. Scholar is today’s Back To School Spotlight. We’re sure you’re going to have an amazing year!

Today’s Back To School Spotlight is on this standout Bodine School - Germantown, TN 5th Grader and M.O.S.T. Scholar.

Across the Mid-South, many students are headed back to school today.

They're meeting their teachers and finding out who's in their classes, and we know you'll be taking photos. When you do, send them our way!

Post them to our page or tag us in your own posts on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, or send them by text or email to staff members.

With your permission, we'll share them on social media and in our marketing, but mostly we just want to see their smiling faces because we're almost as proud of them as you are!

Backpacks on, supplies packed, lunches made.

They're just about to head back to school to meet their teachers and find out who's in their classes, and we know you'll be taking photos. When you do, send them our way!

Post them to our page or tag us in your own posts on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, or send them by text or email to staff members.

With your permission, we'll share them on social media and in our marketing, but mostly we just want to see their smiling faces because we're almost as proud of them as you are!

Thank you to Raymond James Financial, our latest Platinum Sponsor for the upcoming 2023 M.O.S.T. Classic golf tournament. We’ll see you on the course!

Interested in joining us October 2 at Memphis Country Club? Learn more: https://www.memphisscholarships.org/golf-tournament

Fierce competition. Big prizes. A great cause.

Now in its 24th year, the M.O.S.T. Classic attracts the best golfers in the Mid-South, competing on one of the most beautiful courses in Memphis. Prizes wait for the top teams, longest drive, holes-in-one, and more.

Best of all, your participation supports our mission of giving Memphis-area families the opportunity to send their children to the schools that best fit their needs, regardless of zip code or financial circumstances.

Registration for teams and individual players can be found at https://www.memphisscholarships.org/golf-tournament

2023MOSTClassic

Join us in welcoming our newest Board Member, Barbara Meloni, pictured here (center) with her children Witt Meloni, Ceil Meloni Folk, and Abby Meloni, and her husband Gary.

“I’m very passionate about education, so when a friend and donor to M.O.S.T. told me about the organization, I was eager to learn more. Gary and I learned a great deal from our involvement with the Jubilee schools of Memphis. Since their closing, we have been looking for an education-adjacent cause that we could support.

“Something that stood out to me with M.O.S.T. is that parents of our scholarship students have skin in the game. That’s an important piece for me because I think if the parents actively support the child in education, the kids will be more successful.”

Read more here: https://www.memphisscholarships.org/blog/welcoming-barbara-meloni-to-the-board-of-directors

Our blog is loaded with stories about the students, families, alumni, educators, supporters, and leaders who make up the M.O.S.T. extended family. As more people connect with us through scholarships and as supporters, our archive of inspiring stories grows and grows!

Read all about us at https://www.memphisscholarships.org/blog

Back to School is right around the corner, but we still have a few precious days of summer vacation to enjoy. One more book from our summer reading lists, one more cookout, one more dip in the pool. However you choose to spend your remaining days, we hope you enjoy every minute of them.

Get ready to save big at the grocery store.

For 2023, Tennessee's General Assembly has approved a three-month grocery tax holiday on food & food ingredients which begins at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, October 31, 2023.

Learn more: https://www.tn.gov/revenue/taxes/sales-and-use-tax/sales-tax-holiday/sth-food.html

Living comfortably during a Memphis summer can be challenging, but it does not have to be costly. What are some of the easiest ways to stay cool and save?

If you are looking for some easy and free ways to save energy and money this summer, here are some tips from our friends at Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW).

https://www.mlgw.com/residential/summertips

Memphis Light, Gas and Water - Summer Tips Living comfortably during a Memphis summer can be challenging, but it does not have to be costly. What are some of the easiest ways to stay cool and save?   If you are looking for some easy and free ways to save energy and money this summer, follow these steps:

Thank you to Tower Ventures, our latest Gold Sponsor for the upcoming 2023 M.O.S.T. Classic golf tournament. We’ll see you on the course!

Interested in joining us October 2 at Memphis Country Club? Learn more: https://www.memphisscholarships.org/golf-tournament

A break on back to school shopping: Tennessee's tax free weekend kicks off this Friday, July 28.

The annual sales tax holiday will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Friday and end at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 30. Clothing, school supplies, and computers may be purchased without the 7% state sales tax, including items sold online. Certain restrictions apply.

Learn more: https://www.tn.gov/revenue/taxes/sales-and-use-tax/sales-tax-holiday/sth-traditional.html

The opportunities opened by M.O.S.T. Scholarships position graduates to succeed in their careers, but the ripple effect is bigger than that.

In the tightest circle around the student, families are lifted up. But as it spreads, small businesses pop up on community streets, new clinics open their doors to serve local patients, sharp young lawmakers and activists start fighting for their neighbors in City Hall.

With almost 4,000 alumni, dozens of careers are represented by our former students, and many have chosen to stay in memphis to contribute to our city’s economy and culture in different ways.

Read more on our blog: https://www.memphisscholarships.org/blog/where-do-they-go-from-here-measuring-the-impact-of-m.o.s.t.-after-graduation

Did you pack in one more summer trip to the movies? Are you Team Barbie, Team Oppenheimer, or Team Barbenheimer?

When our community of supporters grows, so does our capacity to create opportunities in education for Mid-South families. We need your voice!

Your friends and family trust you, and would be interested to hear why you support M.O.S.T. Help us spread the word.

How's your summer reading list going? The clock is ticking for those headed back to school in August!

Did you know Memphis Public Libraries offers ebooks and eaudiobooks for free online? All you need is a library card. Learn more at https://www.memphislibrary.org/ecollection/

"Last year, M.O.S.T. scholarships opened doors to education for almost 400 students in the Mid-South with more than $1 million in funding, but I know we can smash records as we grow. If you’re reading this, you may already be part of our support team, and I am grateful.

"This summer, we're focused on working to offer these same opportunities for what I hope will be a growing community of M.O.S.T. Scholarship families. As more supporters learn about the real change we are making in people's lives, the more our potential to make a bigger impact grows." - Abbey Cowens, Exceutive Director

Read the latest news from M.O.S.T. here: https://tinyurl.com/2p3tck4x

We hope everyone made it through Tuesday’s storm with minimal or no damage. One M.O.S.T. staff member was hit, but nothing that can’t be fixed and everyone is OK. And, as always in Memphis, neighbors pitched in when help was needed.

Thanks, Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW) for getting the lights back on!

If you have photos or stories of your neighborhoods, share them!

Thank you to Diversified Trust, our latest Silver Sponsor for the upcoming 2023 M.O.S.T. Classic golf tournament. We’ll see you on the course!

nteresting in joining us October 2 at Memphis Country Club? Learn more: https://www.memphisscholarships.org/golf-tournament

A big shout-out to Boyle Investment Company, who recently became a Silver Sponsor for our upcoming 24th Annual M.O.S.T. Classic golf tournament. Thanks for believing in our mission and our methods!

Interesting in joining us October 2 at Memphis Country Club? Learn more: https://www.memphisscholarships.org/golf-tournament

We were thrilled to welcome Red Door Wealth Management to our office for Financial Literacy 101. Red Door advisors offered one-on-one sessions to help M.O.S.T. families answer questions about their finances and get ideas to help plan for the future.

The schedule filled up fast for these sessions, but we will offer other opportunities in the future. Be on the lookout for more information!

Our 2023 M.O.S.T. Classic will take place Monday, October 2, at Memphis Country Club. This annual fundraiser is an important driver of our ability to provide scholarships to Mid-South students but it's also big fun for our supporters, who hit the links and enjoy a tasty lunch on terrace. You don't have to attend or play to be a sponsor!

Registration is now open at https://www.memphisscholarships.org/golf-tournament

Memphis Opportunity Scholarship Trust (M.O.S.T.) is honored to announce receipt of a grant from The Canale Foundation. With these grant dollars going directly to fund M.O.S.T. Scholarships, the announcement means more students in the Mid-South will have access to education options that meet their unique needs.

“Our scholarships are over $3,000 per year and per student, on average. This generous grant from The Canale Foundation is huge for us and the families we partner with, translating directly to more scholarships for more students,” said M.O.S.T. executive director Abbey Cowens. “We’re a small non-profit and work very hard to make sure our efforts are as impactful as possible while our operations remain as efficient as possible. I see this grant from The Canale Foundation as a vote of confidence not only in what we do, but also in how we do it.”

Read the full story on our blog: https://www.memphisscholarships.org/blog/m.o.s.t.-announces-100000-grant-from-the-canale-foundation

Athletics and academics have a mutually beneficial relationship, working together to shape students as leaders and high achievers. With classes still about a month away from starting, many school teams are already holding tryouts and opening the season with practices.

M.O.S.T. staff’s kids play basketball, soccer, and volleyball, and compete in gymnastics. What about at your house?

Where is the summer going?!?!?

Who’s started shopping for school supplies for next year?

Visiting today? Stop by and see us at their Community Fair, just outside JC Penny.

The summer is great for growing a garden, and gardens are great for bringing a little science into the backyard. From seed to salad bowl, tending to edible plants can connect life-long learners to the lifecycle of flora and helps teach lessons about water stewardship, the changing seasons, and healthful eating.

M.O.S.T. staffers are growing tomatoes, okra, cucumbers, chilis, eggplants, herbs, and more this year. What’s in your garden?

Chocolate is brain food, right?

How do you celebrate World Chocolate Day?

Summer chores help kids maintain a sense of routine between school years. How are your kids helping out around the house this summer?

Hoping to see scholars, parents, and supporters at Wolfchase Galleria's Community Fair, this Saturday, July 8 from 1:00-4:30 P.M. Looking forward to introducing more Mid-Southerners to M.O.S.T. and the education opportunities we create for families in our communities.

How are you celebrating?

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It's brutal out there. If someone you know is in need of a reprieve from the record-breaking heatwave, the City of Memphis can offer some help.

To learn about their extreme heat services, visit https://www.memphistn.gov/news/extreme-heat-service-update-june-28-2023-2/

Our 2023 M.O.S.T. Classic will take place Monday, October 2, at Memphis Country Club. This annual fundraiser is an important driver of our ability to provide scholarships to Mid-South students but it's also big fun for our supporters, who hit the links and enjoy a tasty lunch on terrace.

Registration is now open at https://www.memphisscholarships.org/golf-tournament

Congratulations to St. Mary's Episcopal School student Aaliyah Sharif, one of five recipients of this year’s new M.O.S.T. McDonnell Scholarships.

Designed to empower top achieving M.O.S.T. Scholars as they begin high school, McDonnell Scholarships are granted to rising 9th graders exhibiting outstanding academic promise, leadership, and character who have distinguished themselves as students likely to find success in secondary school, college, and beyond.

We know Aaliyah will thrive at St. Mary’s!

Congratulations to Hutchison School incoming freshman Layla Lee, one of five recipients of this year’s new M.O.S.T. McDonnell Scholarships.

Designed to empower top achieving M.O.S.T. Scholars as they begin high school, McDonnell Scholarships are granted to rising 9th graders exhibiting outstanding academic promise, leadership, and character who have distinguished themselves as students likely to find success in secondary school, college, and beyond.

We’re excited to see where Layla goes from here!

Wishing a joyous Eid al-Adha with lots laughter and good health to all who celebrate.